You've got Mail!
by cherokee10
Summary: Chandler and Monica are the best of friends, but both are keeping a cyber-secret that could change everything. My Friends-ified version of the (terrific) movie You've got Mail. Please R&R as this is my first fanfic on this site.
1. Chapter 1

Monica sipped her cocoa and laughed as Chandler made another joke. This was her perfectly typical Friday evening: she would cook, Rachel picked a movie (which they never watched), more often than not Joey brought a "lady friend", Ross shared useless information, Phoebe sang, Chandler made jokes, and they laughed the night away. It had always been like this and most likely always would be.

Not that she didn't enjoy this quality time with her closest friends, but she really couldn't wait for them to leave so she could check her email. She had a secret. One the rest of the people in this room didn't know about.

As soon as that thought crossed her mind Jeremy walked in the door. He strutted over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It had been seven months. Seven months and they were practically _living_ together, yet they hadn't exchanged "I love you's." Phoebe and Rachel reminded her constantly that a long-term relationship with no love was doomed, and in her mind she knew they were right. The thing was, she constantly had such bad luck with love and relationships that Phoebe, Rachel, and everyone else in the room would never understand what it felt like to finally be in one with mutual respect, trust, and friendship, even if that meant it was lacking love.

Except of course Chandler. He had the same misfortune in the romantic area. He had just broken up with his 6th girlfriend in the year after he found her cheating. Cliché right? He was the one person with worse romantic luck than her, yet he was still so upbeat about it. They often laughed and compared their rough stories. He always "won". It was the only game she was okay with losing at.

Jeremy didn't stay for long, just enough to say hi, grab a bite, and let her know he was staying at his place due to an early workday tomorrow. About 30 minutes after he left everyone else started to file out, Chandler was the first to go, claiming he had an urgent email to send before the days end. "How ironic," she thought to herself, "me too, although I'm sure it's a much different situation."

It really wasn't in fact. Chandler walked across the hall, into his apartment, into his room and turned on his computer. He smiled to himself as he heard the three little words "you've got mail."

His heart fluttered a bit at that. For about five and a half months now he'd been exchanging emails with a mystery girl he met online at a random chat room. He was looking for a good easy recipe to cook for his (current, now former) girlfriend and she came on with a ton of suggestions.

They were strictly unspecific. No personal details, mainly poetic wonderings and kind exchanges. Every now and then she'd lend him a hand with a new recipe or they'd exchange advice. The only thing he know about her was that they were roughly the same age (late twenties) and that they both lived in NYC. He needn't know any more.

He pondered what to say for less than a minute before his fingers flew over the keys like the feet of a tap dancer.

"Good evening NeatFreak118, how is it that of all the people on the internet I met you. I could've met a 60 year old cougar, or an 18 year old gold-digger, but I didn't. I met you. Don't you just love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. If I knew your name and address I would be more than happy to send you a boquet of freshly sharpened pencils, so you could write me day in, day out, as we live our lives on the streets of busy New York. We could be friends, co-workers, aquaintances of any type and never know it. Not a soul I've met knows of this, so it's a definite possibility. Anyhow, so long for now NeatFreak, ill see you tomorrow…maybe."

Aaaaand send. He got under the covers and turned out the light, wondering what "neat freak" was doing this very moment, little did he know that she was across the hall, locked up in her own room at this very second, typing out the email he would receive tomorrow morning as he left for work. The very email that would get him through the day before he could write her back, and so on, and so forth.

Neat Freak was his best friend.

And NY20 was Monicas.

But neither of them knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm still totally new to this so I apologize for minor errors in spelling, grammar, etc. This story will be somewhat trial and error for me. I'm keeping some things from the movie and changing others, so sorry if the beginning is confusing and slow-moving. I'm trying to clear it up as I go. By the way, You've Got Mail is one of the best movies ever. Y'all should watch it.**

Chandler smiled at his receptionist as he walked into his office, he knew it would be a long day, but he kept reciting "Neat Freaks" email of the day to himself.

"Dear Friend,

I like to start my emails to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we're the oldest of friends, as opposed to what we actually are, people who don't know each others names, and met in a cooking website chat room. "What will he say today" I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go online and my breath catches in my chest as I hear three words: You've got mail. I hear nothing on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you.

He smiled, how could he allow himself to have a bad day, knowing that someone in the same city –maybe even the same room- is thinking of him to get herself through her day.

Monica smiled as she opened the café to the public. She couldn't help but think of NY20 as she walked through the streets of New York. He wasn't wrong, it truly was lovely in the fall.

Her waitress, Rebecca seemed to take notice, as did Walker the sous chef and Martha her kitchen aid.

"What is up with you? You could be in a play with that upbeat tune you're humming there!"

She giggled and twirled, setting the tables for lunch hour which began in exactly one hour and thirty-nine-minutes.

"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine. I'm grand. Are these Daisies? You know I love Daisies."

She gave Martha a hug, she knew her mother used to get her flowers like those.

"No really what's up with you. You're acting weird." Rebecca gasped, "did you and Jeremy have sex last night? Did he finally tell him he loves you?"

"Who?"

"Jeremy…? Your long-term boyfriend who practically lives with you? Remember him?"

"Oh, yeah! Right, sorry. My mind is just somewhere else today."

Not a word was spoken on the subject. That is until Monica found herself alone in the kitchen with Rebecca.

"Okay, come on. I know you, you don't just act like this. Seriously, what's up?"

"Fine. Is it technically "cheating"-I mean, is it that bad if you're involved with someone online? I met this guy and we've been emailing for months but Jeremy doesn't know. I haven't even met him. Our only rule is no specifics."

Rebecca seemed to consider that for a moment.

"Well, have you had sex?"

"What? No! It's all online. I've never met the guy! Hell, I don't know his first name!"

"No, no. I mean cybersex?"

"No! This is more than that."

"Good, then don't. The minute you do the guy looses all respect for you. Trust me."

Monica began to laugh until she saw Rebeccas serious look.

"All- righty then! Lets just forget this and get to work!"

And they did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, trial and error. This story will move pretty quickly so I'm trying to develop more plot in this chapter. This website is suuuuper confusing…. Anyways, hope you like it!**

When Chandler walked into Monica and Rachel's apartment he found himself alone. He quickly grabbed a beer from the fridge and was about to leave when he heard a computer-generated voice coming from Monica's room. He walked in and saw her screen blinking and reading "you've got mail." Over and over again.

Just then he heard the apartment door slam.

"What the hell are you doing?" Monica was not happy.

Chandler almost dropped his beer. Monica raced into her room and slammed her laptop shut.

"Why were you looking? Did you read my emails? Those are none of your business!"

"Whoa, Mon, chill! I didn't see anything. It's not a big deal, don't freak out okay?! I'm sorry."

"Yes, Chandler. It is a big deal. It's important to me that you and no one else read my email and the private content on my computer. Understand?"

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and walked out. Sometimes she could be crazy.

Later that night Monica was in her room, composing an email to NY19, she hadn't spoken to or seen Chandler since the incident. How was it that he could come up with such snide comments in the blink of an eye, and she never realized what she should've said until she was lying in bed trying to sleep? She hated not getting the last word during an argument.

A new window suddenly popped up on her screen with a ding, she almost fell out of her chair. When she had come to her senses she saw that NY19 had logged on for a chat box.

"I thought you might be online right now." He said, er-typed.

"As usual your timing is impeccable NY19, how are you?"

"I'm fine I suppose. A friend of mine got in a stupid argument today over nothing. I said something mean and he/she threw me out. I hate that. These things just spill out of my mouth and I know it hurts others at times but I honestly can't help it. Then of course I feel just terrible, I really want to apologize but he/she probably doesn't want to see me right now."

"Huh. I'm the complete exact opposite. Anytime I'm in a fight and want to make a snide comment my mind just goes completely blank! Like today, a friend of mine and I also got into a fight, and just now, three hours later mind you, I know exactly what I should've said."

"Interesting. So if we could just completely switch personalities Id have what I want the most and so would you?"

"I suppose, though my personality may be a bit girly for you."

"You're probably right, and if I became a 'neat-freak' like you I think my apartment might give me a heart attack. You would die."

"I'm not so sure if it gets any worse than my guy-friends apartment. Talk about a couple of pigs."

"Haha, that's what my neighbor calls my roommate and I."

Monica sighed. She heard Rachel and Phoebe walk into the living room for girls movie club.

"I have to go, my friends are here. Sorry!"

"Okay, bye."

Monic a started to shut her computer.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Do you think we should meet?"

Monica sat back down. Meeting up was a big step, but all she knew was that this guy could be her soulmate.

Her friends called her from the living room and she told them to start without her, she was in the middle of a possibly life altering conversation.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she mumbled.

"Yes. It's been long enough."

"I agree. Are you busy tomorrow night around 7:00?"

"Not at all."

"Do you want to meet at that adorable coffee shop near the park? You may have been, it's called Central Perk."

She almost told him that she was a regular there, then thought better of it. That may have been too personal.

"Sounds great! Look for me, Ill be the girl with the yellow rose."

"Awesome. Until then. Goodnight NeatFreak118, hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll know your real name."

"Goodnight."

She shut the computer and took a deep breath. This couldn't be happening.


End file.
